


The Reporter

by Bruce J (HowNovel)



Series: Star Return [1]
Category: Starman (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 1995-04-19
Updated: 1995-04-19
Packaged: 2017-11-03 22:19:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/386596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HowNovel/pseuds/Bruce%20J
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How did Paul's encounter with Liz Baynes change her life years later after the events in Episode 1, "The Return"?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Reporter

**Author's Note:**

> **The Star Return Series:** Introduction  
>  By Bruce J. 
> 
> One television season. Twenty-two episodes, twenty-two stories. Twenty-two hours of STARMAN that inspired countless stories, poems, essays, filks, and letters. They created a family, first with the cast and crew, and later including the fans. Spotlight STARMAN, the campaign to renew STARMAN, started as that: a letter-writing effort to convince ABC that it had made a dreadful mistake by canceling the show. It grew into an international cast of thousands that span the globe east and west, north and south.
> 
> There are many fine points about STARMAN (see “What’s This Spotlight STARMAN All About?” for details). The five principal actors—Robert Hays, C. B. Barnes, Michael Cavanaugh, Patrick Culliton, and Erin Gray—were all outstanding in their roles, and much has been written about these characters. But STARMAN was also notable for its guest cast—a vast array of talent that fleshed out the main character storyline in a remarkable and touching way. Many of these characters have also been highlighted in story and song since the campaign began in 1987.
> 
> A few years back, Sheeplady and Desertgal had an idea—to revisit these characters and see how their lives have been changed by what we saw happen to them on the small screen. They envisioned this as a reunion journey, with Paul and Scott coming back to the places they visited in that season. I have left that element out of these stories—Starman, Scott, Fox, Wylie, and Jenny are found only peripherally on these pages. The stories belong to the guest characters alone—and as you will see, each has a compelling tale to tell about the influence of one gentle and wise being on them. Otherwise, I’m sticking loosely to the format that Desertgal proposed to Joyce. Desertgal sums up the purpose of these stories thusly: “to see how Paul's visit has changed the lives of the people he encountered. This must be the major theme of all the stories. But maybe a person's life hasn't changed. This would still make an interesting story. The idea is to see how these people are living now.”
> 
> Desertgal suggested a three-year interval for the stories; this is something else I haven’t followed: some of the stories occur years after the episode, others concurrent with the episode or just after it. Hopefully the substance of the story is vastly more important than when it happens. Desertgal also notes that the stories are not supposed to be conflict-oriented, with captures and car chases. But they may help resolve a new or old problem for the people Starman and Scott visited. Each story is to be about solely one episode’s characters, without characters from multiple episodes mingling, which is why there are twenty-two stories.
> 
> In this effort I am not only indebted to Joyce and Desertgal for having the idea in the first place, but I also feel that honors are due for the people who have done this sort of thing before. Jean L. S penned an excellent zine similar to this early on in the campaign, and notable authors Joyce F, Vicki W, Gayle H, and Lil S have written excellent stories in this vein. I gratefully acknowledge their permission to use their stories as a springboard for what happens on these pages. I’d also like to thank my boss for giving me permission to write while I was working, which gave me a double bonus. (I could humorously add this is the only time I’ve been paid for doing STARMAN work.) Due to this most of the stories were written the old-fashioned way, in longhand, and then typed during spare hours here and there. (Like the rest of my longhand, the originals are mostly illegible. Sigh.)
> 
> Thanks are also due to Vicki and Todd A for fielding ideas and top-notch editing. In closing I’m going to invoke the epithet that Jean used in her zine: “Now, go! Read what you paid for!”
> 
> Bruce J

01 “The Return” The Reporter  
By Bruce J.  
1995

Liz Baynes walked down the long hallway, her black pumps clicking on the white tile floor. She was wearing a conservative black dress with a white lace fringe on the shoulders and down the neckline. A black leather purse was slung over her left shoulder. A trained observer, she missed nothing as she walked: the sound of doctors being paged overhead, the noise of televisions playing in adjacent rooms, the rumble of equipment and carts being moved, and an occasional quiet cough that might not have been noticed by a less interested or astute listener.

Liz had seen it all and heard it all during her career. “Been there, done that.” She had covered wars, protests, famines, outbreaks of disease, strikes, natural disasters, crashes, terrorism, court trials, and civil unrest. One might think that she would be jaded by all the bloodshed, mayhem, and the worst of human behavior she had witnessed. Indeed, she had come close to not caring anymore, which is why she stopped reporting the bad news and jumped for a job at CNN in Atlanta covering features.

Right now she was at Primary Children’s Medical Center in Salt Lake City, working on a health segment on kids with cancer.

She stopped at the nurse’s station, a busy hub of activity. A plump forty-ish woman wearing glasses looked up from her computer monitor. “Hello.”

Liz fished out her CNN ID and presented it. “I’m the reporter here to see Tommy Thorndike.”

The woman’s face brightened. “Ah, yes. Right this way.” She left the nurse’s cubicle and walked briskly down the hall, Liz at her side. “Patti Russell.”

Liz nodded. “Pleased to meet you.”

“Tommy’s so excited, he couldn’t wait for this day to come. He’s been counting the days on a calendar his mom made for him. He’s even regained some of his appetite.”

Liz smiled. “Isn’t it great that the Make-A-Wish Foundation makes things like this possible?”

“Oh, yes.” Patti turned into a room and introduced with a flourish, “Here he is. Mr. Tommy Thorndike.”

Tommy was seven years old and had liver cancer—Liz already knew that from the dossier she’d received about the assignment. But looking into his eyes almost brought Liz to tears. He had a cherubic, almost round face, a turned up nose, and a shy smile. He was wearing a pint-sized hospital gown and a San Francisco 49’ers baseball cap. And those brown eyes were so poignant and soulful they made Liz ache. “Hello Tommy.” She held out her hand. His little hand was cold when she shook it. “I’m Liz Baynes.”

“Hi. Are you the reporter?”

“Yes. I’m glad to meet you.”

He nodded and looked around her. “Where’s the camera?”

“It’ll be coming in a few minutes. I wanted to talk to you first.” That was standard practice for her interviews—it helped put the subject at ease.

He nodded gravely and Liz sat on the bed next to him. “Do you know why this is so important?”

He shook his head.

“Well, we hope that by showing your story, more people will contribute to cancer research so we can find a cure for sick kids like you. And we want to give some publicity to the Make-A-Wish Foundation so more kids like you can have their wish.”

“Will I be on TV all over the country?”

“All over the world.”

“And Steve will be with me?”

“You bet. He’s coming here just to see you.” Liz punctuated that by touching her finger to his chest. He was so cute and cheerful, she wanted to hug and hold him.

“What about my mom?” Tommy asked. “She went to the cafeteria to get a drink.”

“We’ll wait for her, “ Liz assured. “Now tell me why this is important to you.”

“I’ve loved football forever, even when I was a little kid. And I think Steve Young is the greatest. I think he’s even better than Joe Montana.”

Liz smiled. “Do you play football?”

“Oh yeah.” He frowned. “Until I got sick, that is.”

Liz tousled his hair. “Oh, here’s Peter, the cameraman.”

Peter was in his mid-twenties but like Liz had been on the front lines many times. In fact, they’d been in Bosnia together just a year ago. “Steve will be here in a minute,” he said. “The limo was pulling up just as I came in. Hi Tommy.”

Tommy waved. “Hi.” He watched with interest as Peter set up his camera and lights.

Peter turned on his equipment. “I’ll shoot some test video first. You ever been on TV, Tommy?”

Tommy, awash in the glare of the lights, shook his head.

“Well, it won’t hurt, unlike some of things they do to you in here.” Peter smiled.

“I don’t like shots,” Tommy said. “Or IV’s. I have to have them all the time.”

“Yuck,” Peter said. He shot some stock video of Tommy, then aimed the camera at the door so he could capture Steve Young’s grand entrance.

And grand it was. The handsome, built-like-a-lumberjack San Francisco 49’ers quarterback came in with a huge balloon bouquet, a 49’ers tee shirt, and an autographed football, which he tossed at Tommy.

“Steve!” Tommy squeaked happily as he adroitly caught the ball. His face was brighter than a Christmas tree as he turned the ball in his hands. “Wow!”

“Hi Tommy.” Steve Young let the balloons go and they bounced against the ceiling. He bent over and gave the tyke a big hug, which Peter got a good angle on. Liz turned to see Mrs. Thorndike standing in the doorway, smiling and enjoying what was probably a rare happy moment.

“Ready to get dressed?” Steve asked. “We’re going to lunch.”

“At the cafeteria?” Tommy asked unenthusiastically.

Everyone laughed. Liz didn’t blame him—she couldn’t bear the thought of having to eat hospital food for months on end.

“No,” Steve said. “Anywhere you want.”

Tommy clapped his hands. “Hooray! I want a Happy Meal.”

“Did somebody say McDonalds?” Peter quipped, to more laughter.

Tommy shot a look at his mother. “Can Robbie come?”

“I’ll check,” she said, and left.

“Who’s Robbie?” Liz asked.

“My friend next door. He needs a kidney.”

“Sure, we’ll take him,” Steve said. “If they’ll let us.”

“He’s not a big football fan,” Tommy said. “He likes soccer instead.”

“That’s okay.” Steve rested his hand on Tommy’s shoulder. “I like soccer, too.”

Mrs. Thorndike reappeared. “Patti says we can take Robbie.”

“Yippee!” Tommy went into the bathroom to change into clothes he hadn’t used for months. When he came out Liz thought he looked like any healthy and normal seven-year-old, aside from being a touch pale. He looked at Liz and Peter. “Are you guys coming too?”

“Yes,” Peter said. “I’m buying.”

Steve held Tommy’s hand and they walked out the door with Tommy’s mother in tow. Robbie joined them in the hallway. Liz and Peter followed at a discreet distance. Liz felt they were intruding on this special moment. It was not every day that a boy got to meet his hero, and she didn’t want to diminish the experience for him in any way.

They went outside and the boys oohed and aahed over the stretch limo. When they got in they looked like Lilliputians as they sank into the sumptuous leather seats.

On the way to the restaurant Liz wondered how many heads would turn when people saw the limo pull into McDonald’s—especially when Steve Young got out of it. Sure enough, they caused a stir—necks were craning and people starting pointing. Stares lingered on Liz and Peter as they got out with the camera equipment. The gawking intensified as Steve got out and was recognized. Liz was accustomed to scrutiny and imagined Steve was used to putting up with it also, but she wondered if Mrs. Thorndike and the boys were comfortable with it. They looked happy though and Tommy especially seemed to be enjoying himself hugely.

They entered the crowded franchise and approached the lines before the counter.

“That’s Steve Young!” a young voice exclaimed from the depths of the place. Fans offering pens and napkins, burger boxes, or any scrap of paper they could find for autographs quickly surrounded Steve.

Steve patiently talked to his fans and signed autographs. The store manager came out and Liz explained what they were doing. He was delighted and insisted on providing lunch for them at no charge. Steve gravitated to a table with Tommy and Robbie clinging to him. The manager took their orders and they sat down.

Liz smiled and got a tingly warm feeling as she watched the boys play and joke with Steve. The manager and an assistant brought out their food and Peter shot more video while they ate. Liz didn’t ask questions for once—the boys’ happy faces told the story better than any words could.

After they finished eating they formed a line and walked out with waves and smiles from the both the patrons and staff. Steve clutched the hands of the boys, Tommy leading and Robbie following. Liz got a moment to talk to Mrs. Thorndike. “Liz Baynes.” She offered her hand.

“Carolyn Thorndike. Thank you for everything you’ve done, Liz. I hope this coverage will do a lot of good. I only wish my older son David could be here. He’s serving as a LDS missionary in Peru.”

Liz nodded. “I don’t mean to be indelicate, but what’s Tommy’s prognosis? Will he last long enough to see his brother come back home?”

Carolyn shook her head. “They say he’s got a few months—six at most. David’s not due back for another year, but he may come home early.”

Liz asked her about something else she’d seen in the dossier. “Didn’t your husband pass away a few years ago?”

“Yes, when Tommy was one. A car accident.”

Liz squeezed Carolyn’s shoulder supportively. “You’ve been through a lot.”

Carolyn looked resigned. “Yes, God has tested my faith with all these trials. But I still believe in Him. He’ll take care of Tommy—now and on the other side.”

“Good. I’m glad we could help Tommy with his wish.”

Carolyn smiled. “He wanted this so much—I haven’t seen him so happy since—well, for a long while. Thanks for the help.”

Liz nodded. “You’re welcome. I met someone once who convinced me there were more important stories to cover than earthquakes and mass suicides. This is definitely one of them.” Liz wished she could report the biggest story of them all—the existence of intelligent life elsewhere in the Universe. But that story—if it could be told ever—would have to wait for a future time.

They got into the limo and Tommy regarded Liz with serious eyes. “Will you tell Robbie’s story too? He needs a kidney real bad.”

“Of course.” Liz found herself on the verge of tears again. This boy was doomed to an unfair fate, and yet his first thought was for his friend. “You’re very special, Tommy, for caring about your friend so much.”

“Well, he’s my buddy, and I gots to look out for him.” Tommy hugged Robbie.

“I’ll tell both your stories,” Liz promised.

*****

“The Make-A-Wish foundation has fulfilled the wishes of over 73,000 terminally ill children,” Liz said, standing before bright lights and the camera. “But thousands still wait for their wish to come true, and you can help them by making a contribution, donating frequent flyer miles, or helping arrange for a child to get his or her wish.

“As for Tommy, he died of a brain hemorrhage eight days after he got his wish. His brother David remains on his mission in Peru. Tommy’s kidneys turned out to be compatible with Robbie, and so Tommy was able to make a final gift to his friend—a gift of life.”

Liz paused a moment, a moment in which she remembered Tommy and his courage. “This is Liz Baynes for CNN Health News.”

THE END

_For details about Steve Young and his charitable efforts, including the “Forever Young Foundation” and the Children’s Miracle Network, visit his official website: http://steveyoung.atheletesdirect.com_

For more information about the Make-A-Wish Foundation, including how you can contribute money or frequent flyer miles, point your web browser to their website: http://www.makeawish.org


End file.
